Rules for rural dissidents

David McKie (Gandhi's new disciples, November 13) is right to infer that justice and tolerance are universal concepts which are damaged if they are embraced selectively. He is, however, wrong to infer that the Countryside Alliance is not aware of this. In the case of the miners - who were overtaken by catastrophe long before the alliance was thought of - I personally wrote to the then prime minister, pointing out the distress which would be caused by the disintegration of their communities which, without exception, were rural and often isolated. In the case of the poll tax, I remarked to two cabinet ministers that the imposition of a poll tax in 1380 had sparked off the most significant popular rebellion in our history.

There are two elements of true civil disobedience. First, it is a matter of personal decision by someone who has searched their conscience and satisfied themselves that by breaking the law they complain of they are not doing something inherently wrong. Second, they must acknowledge their debt to society by surrendering themselves for trial and punishment. These elements are largely absent from the poll tax and wildcat strike examples.

The thing which links all the cases David McKie mentions is that people have been pushed to extremes. We should all worry about this and be inquisitive about the causes. We should also reflect on the prime minister's words in his recent address to Congress: "We are fighting for the inalienable right... to be free so long as [it] does not impair the freedom of others."John JacksonChairman, Countryside Alliance